Dallas Cheerleader Looks To Reclaim Backflip World Record

Miranda Ferguson flips for the world record in October 2012. She’ll be at it again one year later to try to reclaim the record. (courtesy: Ferguson family)

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – It was just one year ago that Dallas cheerleader Miranda Ferguson claimed the Guinness World Record for the most backflips in a row. Ferguson, who is on the cheer squad for The Hockaday School in Dallas, backflipped 35 consecutive times — surpassing the previous record of 32 flips. At that time, she was a 16-year-old junior with her name in the record books for the first time. Now she’s set to try it again, as a 17-year-old senior, and she’s shooting for the new record of 36, which was set just a few months after her first feat.

How many will she shoot for? Her mother, Kathy Ferguson, says her daughter will try for 40.

“She’s never done 40 in a sitting. If she does today, that will be more than she’s ever done at one time. If she does it, it will be great. If she doesn’t we will still be proud of her,” said Kathy.

Why 40? Because although the record sits at 36, there is video online that shows an Ohio cheerleader backflipping 40 times last month. That video has not been verified by Guinness, but in the event that it is confirmed, Miranda will try to top it.

To practice, her mother says Miranda typically does up to 50 flips during a session — 10 here or 20 there — but never all at one time.

Miranda flips for the record during halftime of the St. Mark’s football game on Friday, October 4. The game starts at 7 p.m.